Display easel



E. H. GLENDE DISPLAY EASEL June 21, 1932.

Filed Feb. 4, 1932 649 3???" flr/ fifendfe:

Patented June 21, 1932 umrso sr' 0F CHIGA 9: ILLOIfi, ASfiIQrNQlE, BY asarortranirrs, @Q HENRY JFAY STEPd, 0F CICAGQ, IULLIFIQEQ nrnnr Application filed rebrnary a, rear. serial tie. ttdttt.

This invention pertains to display easels tor esters and the like. Posters are typically t 'n, flefible sheets with a metal binding strip at two opposite ends, the top and the bottom, the sides unbound so that the poster ill gy be rolled for enclosing in a mailing tu e.

Many supports have been devised for hold ing such posters in extended approximately upright position for display, but the requisites of combined eficiency, simplicity, cheapness, lightness and adaptability for mailing with the poster have not always been considered and have seldom been attained.

By my invention a novel easel is presented which represents an embodiment of struc tural features best calculated to attain "a combination of all these desirable attributes.

.ln order that the invention may be readily understood in all its parts and its manner of application in use with a poster, a preferred embodiment is illustrated in the accoinpanying drawing and hereafter descriptively set forth; it being understood that departure from details 'ven by way of example may well be had within the spirit of the invention as defined by the subjoined claims.

In the drawing,

Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate the poster and easel in connection with successive assembling steps;

Figs. 5 and 6 respectively show the stretching and bracing elements in the fiat prior to assembly; I

Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively fragmented views on a larger scale showing the manner of folding the easel elements; and

Fig. 9 is a view illustrating the adaptation of the poster and easel to a mailing tube.

Having reference to the embodiment illustrated in the drawing, the reference numeral ll designates a oster equipped at the upper and lower ends y metallic binding strips 12. A stretcher element designated at 13 comrises a flat strip of material, such as cardoard or the like, having a degree of flexibility suficient to permit it to be bowed slightly as indicated in Fig. 1 for stretching the poster sheet by inserting terminal tongues 13a beneath'the folds of the binding strips, after nally extending parallel space which the stretcher element 13 is straightened as indicated in Fig. 2, whereby the poster sheet is stretched lenhwise.

'lhe stretcher strip 13 is longitudinally scored as indicated at 13?) in Fig. 2 to facilitate the folding of the same along longitudilines, the space separating which lines may correspond to the width of the tongues 13a. The longitudinal folding results in imparting to the stretcher strip 13 a channel cross section as in dicated in Fig. 3 which very substantially increases the stifiness oi the member 13 as will be readily ap reciated.

lt will-be served that the stretcher memher is also provided (Figs. 1, 2 and 5) with slots 13c intermediate its length which extend from adjacent the scored lines to the two sides obliquely downward with reference to the strip axis and on diverging lines; also that when the stretcher strip is folded into channel or til-section (Figs. 3 and 7) these slots become parallel, lying in a common plane oblique to the plane of the poster and the axis of the strip.

The bracing element 14a (Figs. 6 and 8) is provided with an 11 per terminal tongue Ma and is longitudinal y scored along a median line as indicated at 1th. The tongue Ma is separated by vertically extending notches 140 from flanking shoulders lid. The brace strip 14: is foldable along the scored line 146 into channel or li-section (Figs. 4 and 8) whereby there is imparted to it a substantial degree of stiflness.

The stretcher member 13 having been slightly bowed and engaged with the upper and lower ends of the poster sheet (Fig. l), straightened (F ig. 2) and longitudinally folded into channel section (Fig. 3), and the brace strip having been folded along the line 14?) (Fig. 8), the notches Me of the brace are engaged with the notches 130 of the stretcher (Fig. l), whereby the brace is in terlocked with the stretcher in supporting relation as shown in Fig. 4, each of the members l3 and 1d cooperating by their interlocked relationship to prevent the unfolding of either member. Thus the stretched poster is supported in a slightly inclined but approximately vertical position.

Where the length of the poster is not ma terially greater than its width, the disassembled stretcher and brace may advantageously be rolled inside the poster and slipped into a mailing tube 15 as indicated in Fig. 9, the easel elements being but slightly folded along their longitudinal scored lines to conform in a measure to the cylindrical space within the rolled poster. owever, the stretcher strip may be transversely scored intermediate its length as indicated at 13d (Figs. 2 and 5) which will enable the fiat stretcher strip 13 to be folded for mailing in a shorter mailing tube than would otherwise be required where the length of the poster materially exceeds its width. This weakened line 13d will obviously not impair the stiffness of the stretcher strip when in use in its channel form as shown in Figs. 3 and 4.

I claim:

1. An easel for flexible posters comprising a stretcher member and a brace member, the former flexiblewhen flat and folded longitudinally into channel section, the ends of the stretcher engaged with the topand bottom of the poster and one end of the brace engaged with angularly disposed walls of the stretcher intermediate its length to maintain the channel section of the stretcher and to support the stretched poster.

2.' An easel for flexible posters comprising a. flat stretcher strip and a flat bace strip, the stretcher adapted to engage at its two ends the top and bottom of the poster and to be thereafter folded longitudinally into channel section, the brace adapted to be folded longitudinally into channel section and to engage and interlock at one end with the medial portion of the folded stretcher, whereby when the poster and stretcher and brace are assembled the elements are interlocked to maintain the stretched condition of the poster and the folded condition of the stretcher and brace.

3. An easel for flexible marginally-bound posters comprising a flat stretcher strip and a flat bace strip, the stretcher adapted to be bowed and to engage at its two ends beneath the binding at the top and bottom of the poster and to be thereafter folded longitudinally into U-section, the brace adapted to be folded longitudinally into V-section and to engage and interlock at one end with the medial portion of the folded stretcher, whereby when the poster and stretcher and brace are assembled the elements are interlocked to maintain the stretched condition of the poster and the folded condition of the stretcher and brace.

4. In a poster easel a stretcher member com prising a flat strip of flexible characteristics having a length corresponding to that of the poster and having ends for engagement with median line into channel section to stiffen the same and having an end adapted when so folded to interlock with the folded stretcher member intermediate the ends of the latter, whereby the sectional shape of said members. and their resultant stiffness is maintained.

5. In a poster easel a stretcher member comprising a flat strip of flexible material having a length corresponding to that of the poster and having ends for engagement with the top and bottom of the same, said strip foldable along longitudinally substantially parallel spaced lines into U-section to stiffen the same, and a shorter brace member comprising a flat strip of like characteristics and foldable along a median line into V-section to stiffen the same and having an end ada ted when so folded to interlock with the f0 ded stretcher member intermediate the ends of the latter, whereby the sectional shape of said members and their resultant stiffness is maintained. j

6. A display easel for posters and the like comprising a flat strip of flexible material having a length substantially the same as the over-all poster height with its ends adapted to engage the top and bottom of the poster, said strip longitudinally scored along parallel spaced lines to facilitate folding into channel section and having intermediate its ends slots extending from adjacent the scored lines to the two sides obliquely downward with reference to the strip axis, and a brace stri of flexible material longitudinally scored a ong its axis and provided with spaced slots adjacent one end and extending to the end parallel to the strip axis, the brace adapted to be folded into channel section and to have its slots inter-engaged with the slots of the channel stretcher.

7. A display easel for posters and the like having top and bottom binding strips, comprising a flat stretcher strip of flexible material having a length slightly greater than the length of the poster between binding strips and having terminal tongues adapted when bowed to seat within spaces beneath the binding, said stretcher strip scored longitudinally along parallel spaced lines to facilitate folding into U-section after the tongues are seated beneath the binding, said stretcher strip also provided intermediate its length with slots extending from adjacent the scored lines to the two sides on downwardly diverging oblique lines, and a brace strip of similar material longitudinally scored along its axis and provided with spaced parallel slots adjacent and extending to one end, the brace adapted to be folded along its axis into V-section and to have its slots engagedeeaeee with the slots of the stretcher, whereby the sectional shape of the stretcher and brace and their resultant stifi'ness is maintained.

8. A display easel for posters and the like comprising a flat strip of flexible material having a length substantially the same as the over-all poster height with its ends adapted to engage the top and bottom of the poster, said strlp longitudinally scored along parallel spaced lines to facilitate folding into channel section and having intermediate its ends slots extending from adjacent the scored lines to the two sides obliquely downward with reference to the strip axis, and a brace strip of flexible material longitudinally scored along its axis and provided with spaced slots adjacent one end and extending to the end parallel to the strip axis, the brace adapted to be folded into channel section and to have its slots inter-engaged with the slots of the channel stretcher, said stretcher transversely scored intermediate its length to facilitate folding when flat for inclusion with the poster and brace in a mailing tube.

9. A stretching and supporting easel for flexible posters, comprising a stretcher strip of fiat bendable material and a brace strip of similar characteristics, the stretcher adapted to be bowed and to have its ends engaged with the upper and lower ends of the poster and to be straightened to effect stretching of the poster, and thereafter to be folded longitudinally into channel section to stiffen the same, the brace strip engaged at one end with the stretcher whereby to maintain the stretcher in channel section and to support the same with the poster in approximately upright position.

10. A stretching and supporting easel for flexible posters having top and bottom binding, comprising a stretcher strip of flat bendable material and a brace strip of similar characteristics, the stretcher adapted to be bowed and to have its ends engaged with the upper and lower ends of the poster beneath the binding and to be straightened to efi'ect stretching of the poster, and thereafter to be folded longitudinally int-o channel section to stiffen the same, the brace strip likewise adapted to be folded longitudinally into channel section to stiffen the same and engaged at one end with the stretcher whereby to maintain the stretcher in channel section and to support the same with the poster in approximately upright position.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto sub scribed my name.

EARL H. GLENDE.

CERTIFICATE OF connecnon,

Patent No. 1,863,594.

EARL H. GLENDE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: In the grant, line 4 of the testimonal clause, for "fourteenth day of June" read twenty-first day of June; and that the saidlLetters Patent should be read with thiecorrection therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 11th day of February, A. D. 1936.

Leslie Frazer (Seal) June 21, 1932.

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

